Communication apparatus, system and web page processing method

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for processing a Web page is disclosed. A Web processing unit receives a first Web page from a Web server and displays the first Web page on a screen. The Web processing unit acquires a communication program identified by the first Web page. An external state is monitored and thereby operation information responsive to the external state is generated. The Web processing unit executes the communication program to change the first Web page displayed on the screen to a second Web page according to the operation information.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromthe prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-112338, filed Apr. 15,2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a communication apparatus having afunction of acquiring a Web page via the Internet, a system, and a Webpage processing method.

2. Description of the Related Art

In recent years, digital electric household appliances have becomeincreasingly popular. Such conventional digital household appliances aremainly so-called “stand-alone” devices such as a digital TV, a DVDplayer and an MP3 player. However, more attention has recently beengiven to a category called “network electric household appliances.” Thenetwork electric household appliances sharply differ from theconventional electric household appliances in that they are mainlyInternet-capable household devices. This means that Internet technology,whose main platform has been personal computers, begins to be used inthe field of electric household appliances. In near future, Internettechnology and personal-computer technology would be positively appliedto the field of digital electric household appliances.

Technology of so-called Web browser is very prevalent in the technicalfield of personal computers and the Internet. Web browsers are nowintroduced not only into personal computers but also into most types ofmobile phones and some types of televisions. It is widely recognizedthat the range of applications of Web browsers is very wide. It isexpected that Web browser techniques will be applied very widely toelectric household appliance controllers, remote controllers, etc.

One of Web browser techniques, which has drawn special attention, isJava®. As is well known, the use of Java® can remarkably enhance theperformance of expression on the screen displayed on the Web browser,and can realize display as if a computer application were running on theWeb browser.

However, with increasing popularization of Internet-capable digitalhousehold appliances in the future, it will become necessary toharmoniously associate various functions required for digital householdappliances, such as “voice recognition”, “speech synthesis”, “odorrecognition” and “emotion recognition”, with network functions or Webbrowser functions. These functions need to be dynamically applied to thenetwork household appliances and Web browsers in the future.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in consideration of the abovecircumstances, and its object is to provide a communication apparatus,system, and method capable of performing processing on a Web page inresponse to information relating to an external condition.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided anapparatus for processing a Web page. A Web processing unit receives afirst Web page from a Web server and displays the first Web page on ascreen. The Web processing unit acquires a communication programidentified by the first Web page. An external state is monitored andthereby operation information responsive to the external state isgenerated. The Web processing unit executes the communication program tochange the first Web page displayed on the screen to a second Web pageaccording to the operation information.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the communication apparatuscan perform a process relating to a Web page in response to informationrelating to the external state. A user, for example, may create adesired state as an external state and cause the communication apparatusto recognize the desired state, instead of effecting desired input usinga mouse or a keyboard, thereby causing the communication apparatus toperform a predetermined process relating to a Web page.

In the other embodiment of the present invention, in a case where aserver located at a place remote from the communication apparatus isprovided with a function of acquiring information relating to anexternal state, the communication apparatus can perform a processrelating to a Web page, in response to the information on the externalstate at the remote place.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows an example of the structure of a whole network systemaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows an example of the internal structure of a householdterminal device according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 shows an example of a Web page according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of a processing procedure fora Web page according to the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an example of a processing procedure of acommunication applet according to the embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing an example of a processing procedure of astate-monitor processing section according to the embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a view for explaining an example of a process flow from arequest for a Web page to acquisition of a communication applet in theembodiment;

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining an example of a predetermined processrelating to a Web page, which is based on information relating to anexternal state in the present embodiment;

FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B are views for explaining a case of making use of apage comprising a plurality of frames according to the embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a view for explaining a case of making use of a pagecomprising a plurality of frames according to the embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a view for explaining a case of making no use of a pagecomprising a plurality of frames according to the embodiment;

FIG. 12 shows another example of the structure of the whole networksystem according to the embodiment;

FIG. 13 shows still another example of the structure of the wholenetwork system according to the embodiment;

FIG. 14 shows still another example of the structure of the wholenetwork system according to the embodiment; and

FIGS. 15A through 15D are views for explaining variations of aprocessing engine according to the embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described withreference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the structure of a whole network systemaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, a terminal device (or a communicationapparatus) 1 (e.g. a household appliance controller functioning as amediator for controlling or monitoring a network electric householdappliance connected to a household network) is connected to a householdnetwork (not shown) provided in a house (30). The household terminaldevice 1 is communicable via the household network with, e.g. a serverconnected to the Internet 8 (directly or via a LAN).

In FIG. 1, one or more other devices (e.g. another household appliancecontroller, a network household appliance, etc.) may be connected to thehousehold network in the house (30). The household network may be awired network, a wireless network, or a wired/wireless hybrid network(in the case of the wired/wireless hybrid network, a device connected tothe household network may have only a wired-communication interface, oronly a wireless communication interface, or both wired and wirelesscommunication interfaces).

On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 1, a Web server 2, which isdisposed outside the house, is connected to the Internet 8. Of course,another server or a router may be connected to the Internet B.

In the present embodiment, the household terminal device 1 has afunction (a processing engine (e.g. a voice recognition engine)) ofacquiring information relating to an external condition (e.g. a word (arecognition of a word) spoken by a user), on the basis of informationreceived through an interface with the outside (e.g. a microphone, acamera, a device detecting a physical quantity, such as an odor sensor).In response to the information relating to the external condition, theterminal device 1 can perform processing on a Web page. According tothis function, for example, the user may create a desired state as anexternal state (intentionally or non-intentionally) instead ofperforming a desired input operation using a mouse or a keyboard,thereby causing the terminal device 1 to recognize the external state(e.g. a character string, which the user desires to select, generated).Thus, the terminal device 1 is caused to perform a predetermined processrelating to a Web page. In the description that follows, the householdterminal device 1 is provided with a voice recognition function (voicerecognition engine) by way of example. Using the voice recognitionfunction, the user of the terminal device 1 inputs voice to the terminaldevice 1 (instead of manually inputting an URL of a Web page that theuse wishes to access, or a corresponding character string), thusbecoming able to perform Web surfing. In the case where one or moredevices, other than the terminal device 1, are connected in the house,some or all of these devices may have the same function.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the household terminal device 1communicates with the external Web server 2 connected to the Internet 8.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the internal structure of the householdterminal device 1 according to the embodiment of the invention.

As is shown in FIG. 2, the household terminal device 1 (in the case ofperforming voice recognition for acquiring information relating to anexternal state) comprises a Web browser 11, a local Web server 12, avoice recognition engine 13 and a state-monitor processing section 14.Each of the Web browser 11, local Web server 12, voice recognitionengine 13 and state-monitor processing section 14 can be realized by aprogram (or by causing a CPU to execute a program). In addition, some orall of them can be realized by hardware such as semiconductor integratedcircuits. In FIG. 2, an input device, a display, a communicationapparatus, etc. are omitted.

The Web browser 11 is, for instance, a browser capable of letting a userview HTML Web pages (e.g. a Java®-capable Web browser in the case ofusing a Java® applet as a communication applet to be described later).

The Web browser 1 has a function of communicating with the local Webserver 12, external Web server 2, etc. according to HTTP. In the presentembodiment, it is assumed that the Web browser 11 and local Web server12 are built in the same terminal device 1. Alternatively, they may beprovided in separate devices connected via a household network (notshown). (In the former case, intra-apparatus communication (e.g.inter-process communication) is performed, whereas in the latter casecommunication is performed via a household network.)

The voice recognition engine 13 (as an example of the processing engine)functions as follows. The voice recognition engine 13 receives voicefrom a voice microphone (not shown) built in the terminal device 1 orexternally connected via a connection terminal of the terminal device 1.Only a meaningful portion of the user's voice is extracted by voicerecognition (preferably, high-quality voice recognition) using aninternal dictionary (not shown). The extracted result is output as acharacter string (e.g. a character string of Japanese text).

In response to a request from a communication applet (to be describedlater), the state-monitor processing section 14 acquires a processedresult of the processing engine (voice recognition engine 13 in thisembodiment) provided in the terminal device 1, and returns the acquiredprocessed result to the requesting side. In this embodiment, thestate-monitor processing section 14 acquires a word, which has beenimmediately previously recognized by the voice recognition engine 13, asa character string.

The local Web server 12 is, for example, a Web server which is set to beable to accept an access from the Web browser 11. The local Web server12 pre-stores a communication applet (e.g. Java® applet) 121. Thecommunication applet 121 in this embodiment has a function ofcommunicating with the state-monitor processing section 14 and beingcapable of receiving the processed result (in this embodiment, acharacter string recognized by the voice recognition engine 13) of theprocessing engine which the state-monitor processing section 14 acquiresfrom the processing engine.

In the case where the local Web server 12 and Web browser 11 are builtin the same terminal device 1, the local Web server 12 may be configuredto accept only access from the Web browser 11 embedded in the sameterminal device 1 (in other words, in the case where the local Webserver 12 and Web browser 11 are built in the same terminal device 1,the local Web server 12 may be set such that it cannot accept accessfrom a device other than the same terminal device 1).

On the other hand, the external Web server 2 shown in FIG. 1 stores Webpages which are assumed to be sent to a terminal such as householdterminal device 1.

It is assumed that these Web pages are described in various formats.FIG. 3 shows an example of a Web page used in the present embodiment. Asis shown in FIG. 3, the Web page 21 includes description for downloadinga communication applet, e.g., <applet codebase=“http://local Webserver/applet/” code=“communication applet.class” width=0 height=0>. Ina word, the local Web server in the terminal device 1, in which the Webpage 21 is downloaded, is designated in the Web page 21 as a downloadsource of the applet. Note that in FIG. 3, “external Web server”indicates an address (name) of an external server such as “wwwxyz.co.jp”.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of the processing procedure of the Webbrowser 11 in the case where acquisition of a Web page is instructed. Adesignated Web page is acquired (upon a user's instruction to acquire aWeb page) (step S1). If a communication applet that designates adownload source is embedded in the acquired Web page (step S2), thecommunication applet is acquired from the designated download source(step S3). The acquired communication applet is executed in associationwith the Web page. This procedure may be executed prior to display ofthe acquired Web page, or after completion of display, or independentfrom display.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the processing procedure of the applicationapplet 121. The procedure illustrated in FIG. 5 is periodically repeatedwhile the communication applet 121 is running. The state-monitorprocessing section 14 is accessed (when a time to access thestate-monitor processing section 14 has come, for example, on the basisof a timer) (step S11). If the communication applet 121 receivesinformation from the state-monitor processing section 14 to the effectthat an empty character string is received or a character string isabsent (step S12), no processing is performed. Even where a non-emptycharacter string is received from the state-monitor processing section14 (step S12), if a URL corresponding to the received character stringis not designated no processing is performed. However, in the case wherea non-empty character string is received from the state-monitorprocessing section 14 (step 512), if a URL corresponding to the receivedcharacter string is designated, the corresponding Web page is acquired(step S13). In this example, if the corresponding Web page is acquiredand displayed, the execution of the communication applet 121corresponding to the original Web page is suspended.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a processing procedure of thestate-monitor processing section 14 in the case where it is accessed bythe communication applet 121. The state-monitor processing section 14accesses the voice recognition engine 13 (when it is accessed by thecommunication applet 121) (step 121). If the state-monitor processingsection 14 receives a non-empty character string front the voicerecognition engine 13 (step S22), it returns the character string to thecommunication applet 121 (step S23). On the other hand, when thestate-monitor processing section 14 receives an empty character stringor information that there is no character string from the voicerecognition engine 13 (step S22), it returns the empty character stringor the information that there is no character string to the applet 121(step S24).

Referring now to FIG. 7, a process flow from the request for a Web pageto the acquisition of the communication applet will be described.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which the user of the household terminal device1 accesses, from the Web browser 11 of the terminal device 1, a Web page(refer to the Web page shown in FIG. 3) in the external Web server 2,which is designated by “http://external Web server/html/startpage.html”.

To begin with, the user requests the Web page of interest from theexternal Web server 2 via the Web browser 11.

The Web browser 11 makes an access request at URL “http://external Webserver/html/startpage.html” of the external Web server 12 (see 5101 inFIG. 7). Then, the designated Web page 21, i.e. “startpage.html”, isdownloaded in the Web browser 11 (see S102 in FIG. 7).

In the Web page 21, a description of a communication applet, whichexplicitly designates a download source, like “codebase=“http://localWeb server/applet/” code=“communication applet.class”, is embedded. Inthis case, immediately after downloading the Web page 21, the Webbrowser 11 accesses the following URL of the local Web server 12 (not ofthe external Web server 2): http://local Web server/applet/communicationapplet.class (see S103 in FIG. 7). As mentioned above, the communicationapplet 121 is located in this URL. Thus, the communication applet 121stored in the local Web server 12 is downloaded in the Web browser 11(see S104 in FIG. 7).

When the Web page 21 is to be transmitted from the Web server 2 to thehousehold terminal device 1, it is assumed that the external Web server2 has such information that the local Web server 12 is built in thehousehold terminal device 1, and also has information as to whatfunctions the communication applet 121 located in the local Web server12 has and information as to the interface, location, etc. of thecommunication applet 121.

In general, these pieces of information vary from terminal device toterminal device. For example, cookies may be used as means forpre-storing the information in the external Web server 2. When the Webbrowser 11 issues to the external Web server 2 a request for acquiringthe Web page 21, it sends a cookie at the same time. In the cookie,described is necessary information on functions of the communicationapplet 121 set in the local Web server 12, and on the interface andlocation of the communication applet 121. The external Web server 2 canacquire necessary information from the cookie sent from the Web browser11. If the external Web server 2 stores information on each terminaldevice as a database, only such information as to discriminate theterminal device may be described in the cookie sent from the Web browser11.

The downloaded communication applet 121 is executed on the Web browser11. It should be noted, however, that the communication applet 121 isset at a width=0 and a height=0 (refer to the portion in FIG. 3, <appletcodebase=“http://local Web server/applet/” code=“communicationapplet.class” width=0 height=0>), and thus the communication applet 121is not viewed on the Web browser 11, while it is being executed, and isnot recognized by the user. Alternatively, the width and height may beset at values greater than 0, so that the user can visually recognizethe communication applet 121.

For reasons of security, a communication applet is communicable withonly the source of download of the communication applet. Thecommunication applet 121 downloaded from the local Web server 12 in theterminal device 1 can communicate with (only) the state-monitorprocessing section 14 provided in the same terminal apparatus 1 as thelocal Web server 12, which is the download source. Based on thecommunication by the communication applet 121, the present embodiment isconfigured to reflect on the Web browser 11 the information on theexternal state, i.e. the re cognition result of the voice recognitionengine 13 in this embodiment, via the state-monitor processing section14.

Referring to FIG. 8, a description will now be given of communicationsbetween the communication applet 121, state-monitor processing section14 and voice recognition engine 13, and the function of Web page jump byvoice input, as an example of a predetermined process relating to a Webpage based on information on an external state.

For example, the Web page 21 shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the displayscreen (not shown) of the Web browser 11 of household terminal device 1.The display screen also displays character strings “apple” (Japanese),“orange” and “strawberry”. If a user (3) selects a given characterstring (e.g. “apple”), the Web browser 11 accesses the associated serveraccording to the description of a hyperlink (>a href= . . . > in FIG.3), acquires the corresponding Web page, and displays it on the displayscreen as a new Web page.

When the user (3) selects “apple” as a freely chosen character string,the user (3) may manually click a display image portion of “apple” onthe display screen using a mouse, or may utter voice “apple” instead ofclicking. The voice is recognized by the voice recognition engine 13,and the recognized result is reflected on the Web browser 11 via thestate-monitor processing section 14 under the operation of thecommunication applet 121. Thus, the Web page is jumped to the followingpage designated by “apple”:

http://external Web server/html/apple.html.

Assume that the user (3) of terminal device 1 viewed a Web pagedisplayed on the display screen, and then desired to browse a Web pagedesignated by “apple” and uttered “apple”. The voice recognition engine13 memorizes, as a character string, a word recognized based on theuser's uttered voice (refer to S121 in FIG. 8).

On the other hand, the communication applet 121 periodically performpolling to determine the status of the state-monitor processing section14 (refer to S122 in FIG. 8). The polling is done, for example, todetermine whether there is a recognized character string.

Each time the state-monitor processing section 14 is accessed by thepolling, it inquires of the voice recognition engine 13 as to what word(character string) has been recognized. If the voice recognition engine13 has a voice recognition result, it stores a character string. Inresponse to the inquiry from the state-monitor processing section 14,the voice recognition engine 13 returns the character string. Thestate-monitor processing section 14 returns the character string as aresponse to the communication applet 121 (refer to S123 in FIG. 8). Ifthe voice recognition engine 13 recognizes nothing (i.e. if the voicerecognition engine 13 returns information that nothing is recognized,for example, by an empty character string), the state-monitor processingsection 14 returns, e.g. an empty character string, thereby notifyingthe communication applet 121 that nothing is recognized.

In this communication applet 121, as exemplified by numeral 1211 in FIG.8, arguments are designated, each of which indicates correspondencebetween a received character string and an associated URL-designated Webpage to be displayed (refer to examples of “apple”, “orange” and“strawberry” in FIG. 3). If a character string, which the communicationapplet 121 received from the state-monitor processing section 14, isincluded in these arguments (see S124 in FIG. 8), the communicationapplet 121 causes the Web browser 11 to display the corresponding URL.

In the example of FIG. 3, when the voice recognition engine 13recognizes “apple”, for instance, the communication applet 121 receivesa character string “apple” via the state-monitor processing section 14,and a Web page of the following URL is displayed (see S125 in FIG. 8):

http://external Web server/html/apple.html.

Similarly, when the word “orange” is recognized, the URL,

-   -   http://external Web server/html/orange.html is displayed.    -   When the word “strawberry” is recognized, the URL,        http://external Web server/html/strawberry.html is displayed.

On the other hand, the Web page is not changed, if the communicationapplet 121 receives information that there is no character string, e.g.an empty character string, or the communication applet 121 receives acharacter string that is not designated by the arguments.

There are three modes of selection of a desired character string inconnection with each Web page: (1) either manual input, e.g. by clickinga character string on the display screen using a mouse, or voice input,(2) only voice input, and (3) only manual input.

In the above embodiment, the English language is the object ofrecognition by the voice recognition engine 13. Needless to say, otherlanguages, e.g. Japanese, may be recognized, or one or more of aplurality of languages may be recognized.

In the above description, URLs are directly associated with “apple”,“orange” and “strawberry”. Alternatively, the display screen may becaused to display “1: apple”, “2: orange” and “3: strawberry”, the usermay generate a numeral corresponding to the desired item, and the Webpage corresponding to the recognized numeral may be acquired (it is alsopossible to adopt a method that can cope with either a case where theuser generates a numeral corresponding to the desired item or a casewhere the user generates a character string corresponding to the desireditem).

In the case where a new Web page is acquired and displayed on the Webbrowser 11 by using the voice recognition, etc., such a new Web page maybe associated with a given URL (a description of a communication appletthat explicitly designates a download source may, or may not, beembedded in a new Web page). However, because of restrictions due tosecurity of a Java® applet, the content of a new Web data, which isreceived from a source other than the download source of the applet,cannot directly be referred to from the communication applet 121corresponding to the original Web page.

If the Web page is changed, the communication applet embedded in theoriginal Web page is stopped. However, if the description of the samecommunication applet is embedded in a new Web page at a destination oftransition, e.g. the above-mentioned

http://external Web server/html/apple.html,

communication between the same communication applet and state-monitorprocessing section begins on the Web page at the destination oftransition, and the operation can be continued.

As described above, the communication applet embedded in the Web pagecommunicates with the state-monitor processing section that operates onthe Web server at the download source of the communication applet.Thereby, a given web page can dynamically be displayed on the Webbrowser in accordance with the state (or change of state) detected bythe state-monitor processing section.

As has been described above, even in the method of embedding thedescription of the communication applet in each Web page, if the samecommunication applet is used on the Web page at the destination oftransition, the communication applet need not be downloaded each time.The reason is that, in general, once a communication applet isdownloaded, the duplicate stored in the cache is used in subsequentoperations. However, an overhead may possibly occur each time thecommunication applet is initiated.

There is a method of avoiding an overhead due to start of thecommunication applet.

Specifically, the same communication applet is kept on running. As isshown in FIG. 9A, a page (e.g. first page) is composed of a plurality ofpages, e.g. frame 1 and frame 2. The description of the communicationapplet is embedded in a Web page displayed in frame 1. A new Web page,which is opened according to a change in status, is displayed in frame 2(the provision of frame 3, . . . , is possible alternatively). With thisconfiguration, frame 1 is unchanged even if the Web page in frame 2transits to the new page. Thus, the communication applet is not stoppedand keeps on running.

As is shown in FIG. 9B, the frame is not necessarily be displayed as aneasily recognizable frame. The frame may be formed with a width=0 or aheight=0. In this frame, the communication applet may be run so that thedisplay of the frame may not easily recognized by the user.

The method of keeping the same communication applet running by usingframes is particularly effective for a page structure, as shown in FIG.10, that is generally adopted in Web pages using frames, wherein itemsof link to each page appears on a sub-frame and the associated contentappears on a main frame (in this case, as shown in FIG. 10, thecommunication applet (resident applet) is run in the sub-frame). Thereason is that link destination candidates are understood at the time offirst displaying the whole frame including the sub-frame, so they can beregistered as arguments at the time of start of the communicationapplet.

On the other hand, in the case of a page structure wherein new linkdestinations are successively displayed each time a new page is opened,as indicated by (a)→(b)→(c) in FIG. 11, all link destinations are notunderstood at the time of start of the communication applet. In such acase, if continuous execution of the same communication applet isdesired, such a configuration as to dynamically pass arguments to thecommunication applet may be added and the arguments may be used.Alternatively, the communication applet may be embedded in all pages, asmentioned above.

The above-described method of embedding the description of thecommunication applet in each Web page or the method of using the framesas illustrated in FIG. 9 may be properly selected and used.

In the example described above, the Web page, as shown in FIG. 3, inwhich the descriptions of the communication applet and associatedarguments are embedded, is prepared in advance. In an example to bedescribed below, the description of the communication applet is added tothe Web page in a device other than the Web server 2, thereby formingthe Web page as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 12 shows an example of the structure of this technique. In FIG. 12,a proxy server intervenes between the external Web server 2 and Webbrowser 11. Before a Web page acquired from the external Web server 2 isdisplayed, the description of the communication applet is embedded inthe Web page by the proxy server 18. If appropriate Web page conversionis not effected, Web surfing by voice input can be realized for a givenWeb page in a given Web server.

In this case, for example, a tag <applet> of a communication applet isembedded in a Web page of interest. A set of a character string, whichis interposed between link-designating tags,

(a href= . . . > . . . </a>

included in the Web page, and a destination of the link, is given asarguments of the communication applet.

In the example described above, the local Web server is the downloadsource of the communication applet. In an example to be described below,some other device is designated as the download source.

A freely chosen Web server can be designated as the download source ofthe communication applet. For example, a server located remote from thehousehold terminal device 1 may be designated, and different Web pagesmay be opened according to the state (or change of state) of the remoteplace.

The proxy server in FIG. 12 is an example of the server provided withinthe terminal device. The proxy server, however, may be located anywhere.For example, as shown in FIG. 13, a proxy server may be providedindependently at the entrance of a household network (household LAN)provided within the house (in this case, the proxy server beingtransparently available by the user in the home). Alternatively, a proxyserver may be provided en route over the Internet. Alternatively, aproxy server may be provided at the exit of the external server (in thiscase, the proxy server being transparently available by user whoaccesses it).

FIG. 14 shows an example of the network system configuration in thiscase. A server 4 is located remote from the household terminal device 1.Like the local Web server 12, the server 4 has a function of providingthe communication applet 121 to the terminal device 1. In addition, theserver 4 includes the same processing engine 43, such as the voicerecognition engine, and state-monitor processing section 44 as have beendescribed above. In this case, the communication applet 121, which runson the Web browser 11 of terminal device 1, communicates with thestate-monitor processing section 44 of server 4. In the server 4, thestate-monitor processing section 44 communicates with the processingengine 43. Thus, the communication applet 121 in the terminal device 1can acquire information on the external state of the remote server 4.

In this case, if HTTP is used for communication between thecommunication applet 121 and state-monitor processing section 44, theconfiguration of the state-monitor processing section 44 can be used insuch an environment that data communication based on protocols otherthan HTTP is blocked indoors or outdoors for the purpose of security.

In the case or using HTTP, the state-monitor processing section 44 maybe used as a cgi (common gateway interface). The communication applet121 sends a request to the cgi as an HTTP request, and receives acharacter string obtained by the state-monitor processing section 44 asan HTTP response.

In the case where the state-monitor processing section 44 is remotelylocated, a traffic between the communication applet 121 andstate-monitor processing section 44 may become a problem. In the exampleshown in FIG. 8, each time the communication applet 121 issues arequest, the state-monitor processing section 14 returns some characterstring generated by the voice recognition engine 13. The communicationapplet 121 determines, based on the character string, whether transitionof the Web page should be made or not. Instead, for example, at the timeof activating the communication applet 121, arguments given to thecommunication applet 121 may be sent to and registered in thestate-monitor processing section 44. Even when some processing result(e.g. some character string from the voice recognition engine) isgenerated by the processing engine 43, the state-monitor processingsection 44 may return information that there is no processing result(e.g. the absence of a character string, e.g. by an empty characterstring) in cases other than the registered arguments (e.g. registeredcharacter strings). By such new architecture for registration anddeletion of character strings, the traffic can be reduced. Thisarchitecture is applicable to the case of FIG. 8.

In the example that has been mainly described above, a predeterminedprocess relating to a Web page is performed when the acquiredinformation relating to an external state coincides with presetinformation on an external state. Alternatively, a predetermined processrelating to a Web page can be performed on the basis of transition ofinformation relating to an external state. For example, at leastinformation relating to an external state, which is the latest acquiredinformation, is stored. When a transition of an information set of thelatest information relating to an external state and the next latestinformation relating to an external state, which is stored at that time,coincides with a preset transition of information relating to anexternal state, a predetermined process relating to a Web page may beperformed (e.g. a Web page with a URL corresponding to the transitioncontent is acquired). Specifically, assume that URL 1 is designated to atransition “word A→word B”, URL 2 to a transition “word A→word C”, andURL 3 to a transition “word A→word D”. In this case, assume that theuser first generates word A and then generates word B in the state thatword A is recognized, and the word B is then recognized. Then, a Webpage with URL 1 corresponding to the transition “word A→word B” isacquired (i.e. if the user generates word A and word B in this order,the Web page with URL 1 can be acquired and displayed). Other variousmodifications can also be made.

In the embodiment described above, the description has been given of thefunction (processing engine) for acquiring information relating to anexternal state on the basis of information that the household terminaldevice 1 receives from the interface with the outside. In addition, theterminal device 1 has been described as being able to perform theprocess relating to the Web page in response to information relating tothe external state. As a concrete example, recognition of voice utteredby the user, as shown in FIG. 15A, was described. Other variations,aside from the voice recognition, are possible with respect to how toacquire information relating to the external state.

For example, by using an image recognition function as shown in FIG.15B, an image recognition result can be used as information relating toan external state. There may be various objects of image recognition. Anexpression produced by the user by, e.g. a sign language or lip reading,is read and a corresponding character string is generated. The generatedcharacter string can be used. Besides, the user may perform apredetermined specific action pattern, and the action pattern isrecognized and used. Further, predetermined characteristic amounts (e.g.brightness, typical color, rapid motion) may be extracted from anacquired image of the surrounding, and a predetermined process relatingto the Web page may be performed based on the extracted result.

As is shown in FIG. 15C, by using a function of emotion recognition forthe user, e.g. guessing delight, anger, sorrow and pleasure of the userat the time, based on the voice recognition of the user's voice and theimage recognition of a face image of the user, an emotion recognitionresult can be used as information relating to the external state.

As is shown in FIG. 15D, by using an odor recognition function using anodor sensor, an odor recognition result can be used as informationrelating the external state.

In the above descriptions, the terminal device 1 connected to thehousehold network is connected to the Internet via the householdnetwork. Of course, the invention is not limited to this configuration.In this invention, the terminal device, which is connected to a networkother than the household network (e.g. an intranet, a mobile phoneservice provider's network, or an Internet provider's network) may beconnected to the Internet via the network. Furthermore, the invention isalso applicable to a terminal device directly connected to the Internet.

The functions described above are realizable as software.

Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects isnot limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shownand described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventiveconcept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

1. A communication apparatus which receives a first Web page from a Webserver and displays the first Web page on a screen, comprising: acommunication program storing unit configured to store a communicationprogram; a monitoring unit configured to monitor an external state andto generate operation information responsive to the external state; anda Web processing unit which executes the communication program toreceive the operation information from the monitoring unit and changethe first Web page displayed on the screen to a second Web pageaccording to the operation information. 2-23. (canceled)